More people are trying psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin — so the Fireside Project and MAPS launched a hotline to call or text for help.
a proprietary psilocybin-like compound that wears off after two or three hours, more than twice as fast as tripping on real mushrooms.
The difference between a “difficult” and “negative” trip often comes down to what happens after. Michelle says integration, the process of applying the insights of a psychedelic experience to one’s everyday life, is the most important part: “that’s where the growth happens.
The growing field of psychedelic medicine has long been overwhelmingly white, with people of color finding it harder to access careers or basic support. Fireside has taken steps to combat this trend, in part by raising money for anthat will one day offer psychedelic education scholarships to hotline volunteers with marginalized identities, including neurodivergent people and those with disabilities.
As the hotline’s pilot year continues, Fireside is working to make its services available to hospitals, clinics, shelters, colleges, cities, and national support lines like the Crisis Text Line, which since 2013 has allowed people to get help withcrises via text. “With decriminalization there’s more access, so you have to think about risk reduction,” says Washington. “We want to position ourselves to say, ‘Hey, we’re here, and this is what a service can look like.